Rectilinear fiber combing machine



Aug. 23, 1938. P, J, GlLLEsHE 2,127,863

RECTIL INEAR FIBER COMBING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1937 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 'REGTILINEAR FIBER COMBING MACHINE Percy Joseph Gillespie, London, England Application December 18, 1937, Serial No. 180,645 In Great Britain December 29, 1936 2 Clainis. (Cl. 19-115) This invention relates to rectilinear or'French machines for combing wool and other textile fibers for spinning. i

In such machines the fibers are drawn from the comb by a pair of co-operating fusiform rollers of great length relative to their diameter, about the lower of which passes a drawing-off band or apron of leather, rubber or the like that is drawn tight by means of an idler roller. Two

plates or swords are caused to rise and fall in alternation, the curved upper sword descending between the top comb and the drawing-01f rollers, and the lower sword, which may be curved or plane, rising to cover the porcupine or horizon- 1 tai combing roller during theoperation of the drawing-off rollers. In order to leave the drawing-off band clear for the passage thereon of the fibers, the upper sword is operated by means of an oscillating shaft located beneath the band, on

l which shaft the sword is mounted by means of a pair of curved arms which oscillate beside the edges of the band. The whole assembly is mounted between a-pair of side members constituting a carriage which moves backwards and forwards periodically in the machine frame.

In the operation of the machine a leather drawing-off band usually stretches irregularly, so that the band becomes slacker at one-side than the other, and is thereby caused to creep laterally along the rollers. The fusiform'shape of the rollers is insufficient to cause the band to remain on their median bulges (as crownpulleys do with driving belts) having regard to the'slow speed and the hunting motion imparted to the band. Consequently, in time the band comes into contact either with one of the arms of the upper sword at a point remote from the centre of oscillation of said arm or with projecting square edges of bushes upon which the rollers are mounted, and the edge of the band is damaged thereby. This damage rapidly leads to rupturing of the band or renders it useless.

A known mode of correcting lateral creeping of a band due to uneven stretching consists in inclining the idler roller which serves to tension the band, so as to exert a tightening action tending to make the band creep in the opposite direction, and so that the two'tendencies are balanced. This introduces a further disadvantage, namely, that it accelerates the stretching of the band. In the case of a leather band particularly, under the continued stretching it eventually becomes so narrow as to create a considerable gap at one side of the runway and expose an end of passes, with the consequent liability of fibers to become lapped about the exposed end of the roller.

If the frequency of correcting by inclination of the idler roller can be minimized, narrowing of the band will likewise be reduced andretarded, and the useful life of the band consequently prolonged.

An object of the present invention is to pre vent the drawing-off band in a combing machine of the type referred to from moving laterally on the rollers so as to come into hurtful contact with oscillating or stationary parts as described, while minimizing the use of inclination of the idler roller as aforesaid, if provision is made for such inclination. Another object is to ensure that in the event of the band becoming narrower under tension, it is maintaned centrally in the drawing-off rollers so that the amount of exposure of the rollers which may occur at either end thereof, is reduced by one half in comparison with the possible exposure where the band is unconstrained and free to creep entirely to one side.

To the attainment of these objects, the invention provides a pair of constraining members attachable to the oscillating shaft of the upper sword, betweenthe arms supporting said sword and the edges of the band, and presenting smooth surfaces for engaging theedges-of the band when it commences to move laterally on the rollers and preventing it from coming into contact with either of said arms or with the aforesaid bushes.

Preferably, the members provided by the invention are each composed of a plurality of parts securable together so as tobe applicable to the upper sword shaft withoutv the latter having to be removed from its bearings.

Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a vertical section (on the line I-I of Fig. 2) ofthe drawing-off means, with its carriage, of a rectilinear combing machine,

Fig. 2-is a corresponding fragmentary plan vlew, I

Fig. 3 is an elevation, on a larger scale, of the constraining member shown. in Figs. 1 and 2, and

Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively rear and side elevations of another embodiment of. constraining member.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the carriage comprises two like side members I interconnected as by cross members 2. The side members I present bearings for the shafts 3 and 4 of upper and lower helically fluted drawing-off rollers 5 and 6, the shaft 1 of a fusiform idler roller 8 and an upper sword shaft 9. Adjacent the inner sides of the frames, the shaft 9 carries two curved arms 10 to the free ends of which are attached a part-cylindrical sword II. The rollers 6 and 8 are surrounded by an endless drawingoff band l2. Each of the rollers 5 and 6 is fusiform, as illustrated in the drawing, so that when strained together by resilient means bearing on the ends of the shaft 3 they engage together with uniform pressure throughout their length to effect regular drawing of the fibers. over the whole width of the band l2. The resilient means bearing on the shaft 3 of the press roller 5, as well as means for imparting a periodic, rotary hunting motion to the shaft 4 of the driving roller 6, and means for oscillating the shaft 9, are known and form no part of the invention, for which reason they are not shown in the drawing.

According to the invention, two discs l3 are attached to the shaft 9, one at each edge of the band l2, between the latter and the inner sides of hubs [4 of the sword arms I 0. Each of the discs, which may be made of hard wood, metal or other suitable material, comprises two semicircular halves, connected together at one end by a hinge I5 and provided at the other end with lugs I6 through which a bolt ll is passed for clamping the disc upon the shaft 9. As shown in Fig. 3, the aperture l8 formed at the centre of the composite disc I3 is non-circular, its dimension at the diametrical plane of the half portions being equal to the diameter of the shaft 9 and its dimension perpendicular to said plane being rather less to ensure an adequate clamping of the disc on the shaft under the force eX-- erted by the bolt I1.

In the operation of the machine, the band i2 is liable to stretch unevenly, especially when made of leather, since it is under tension between, on the one hand, the fluted rollers 5 and 6 which repeatedly corrugate it helically, and on the other hand, the idler roller 8, while being also subjected to the resistant pull of the fibers which it has to tear from the nip and drag through the top comb. Consequently, it tends to creep sideways. Before the discs !3 provided by the invention are applied to confine the band, the creep frequently attains such an extent that an edge of the fast-moving band comes into contact with the fixed bosses IS, on the members I, in which the roller shafts 3 and 4 are mounted. or with the sword arm Ill. The sword arm In also oscillates at high frequency, so that the speed of those of its portions liable to be engaged by the band, especially the upper run thereof, is also high; moreover, such portions are moving at an angle to the path of the band. as indicated by the arrow A, when the arm I0 is at the position shown in chain-dotted lines in Fig. 1. Contact between the edge of the band and the bosses l9 or the sword arm I!) therefore results in damage to said edge which rapidly leads smooth surface which applies a steady guiding pressure to the edge of the band without inflicting any damage.

In the event of the band l2 decreasing in width under tension as described, the discs l3 may be moved inwards by equal extents to maintain the band central on the rollers 6 and 8.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified constraining member 20 which is mounted on the shaft 9 at the inner side of each of the sword arms I!) so as to intersect continuously the planes of both the upper and lower runs of the band l2. The member 20 comprises an elongated plate with an integral half-collar 2| to which a complementary half-collar 22 is secured by two set screws 23 for gripping the shaft 9 and firmly locating the plate adjacent the inner side of the arm I0. Preferably, the constraining member is mounted to be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the upper run of the band when said member is in its median position of oscillation, so that the angle between said plane and the direction of movement of the outer end of the member, towards its limit of swing, is minimized. Since the smooth constraining surface 24 of the plate member 20 near its centre of oscillation engages the lower run of the band l2, as well as engaging the upper run of the band at a greater radius, the plate affords steady guidance to the hand without tending to damage the edge of the latter. A constraining member of this form is useful where the upper and lower runs of the band are farther apart, and large discs cannot be accommodated owing to the proximity of the shaft 9 to fixed parts of the machine, such as the cross member 2.

Annular disc-like constraining members, divided into two parts, may be secured to the shaft 9 by alternative means, such as a pair of screws passing through the substance of one part into the substance of the other part, or by a strap surrounding the joint periphery of the parts.

The members may, however, be constituted by discs which require to be passed over the end of the sword shaft, with means such as an integral collar and a grub screw for securing them thereon. As an alternative, each disc, whether passed over the end of the shaft or composed of a plurality of complementary parts secured together, may be rotatably located thereon by means of a pair of collars or spring clips, or by a single collar or spring clip holding the disc rotatably in contact with the hub of the sword arm, or distance members or equivalent, so as to be driven round by the edge of the band if the latter comes into contact with the disc.

I claim:

1. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-01f band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band and presenting a smooth surface to engage said edge in the event of the band creeping transversely.

2. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band, each ble to the shaft and means serving to secure the parts in assembly about the shaft, and each assembled constraining member presenting a smooth surface to engage the edge of the band in the event of the band creeping transversely.

3. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band, each composed of two parts with complementary recesses jointly constituting an aperture toreceive the shaft, the parts being mutually engageable on a diametrical plane of the aperture, and means serving to secure the parts together about the shaft, and each composite constraining member presenting a smooth surface to engage the edge of the band in the event of the band creeping transversely.

4. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band and presenting a smooth surface to engage said edge in the event of the band creeping transversely, and means associated with each of the constraining members for securing it firmly to the shaft.

5. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely tothe band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band, each composed of a plurality of parts radially applicable to the shaft and means to clamp the parts together and in assembly firmly upon the shaft, and each assembled constraining member presenting a smooth surface to engage the edge of the band in the event of the band creeping transversely.

6. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of constraining members, each located on the sword shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band, each composed of two parts with complementary recesses jointly constituting an aperture to receive the shaft, the parts being mutually engageable on a diametrical plane of the aperture, with means serving to strain the parts together about the shaft and thereby to clamp them firmly to the shaft, and each composite constraining member presenting a smooth surface to engage the edge of the band in the event of the band creeping transversely.

7. In a rectilinear fiber combing machine, the combination with the endless drawing-off band, the oscillatable upper sword shaft disposed transversely to the band and the sword-carrying arms secured to the shaft one adjacent each edge of the band, of a pair of disc-like constraining members rotatably mounted on the sword shaft and means locating each of the constraining members on the shaft between one of the arms thereon and the adjacent edge of the band, each constraining member presenting a smooth surface to engage said edge in the event of the band creeping transversely.

PERCY JOSEPH GILLESPIE. 

